Illuminating device for keyholes



(No Model.)

F. W. ROLL 8v 'I'. WALTMAN. ILLUMINATING DBV-ICE FOR KEYHOLES.

Illl.

M 'l l L g-mnmmm I W n UNITED STATES PATENT EEroE.

FREDERICK VF. ROLL AND FRANK WALTMAN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ILLUMINATING DEVICE FOR KEYHOLES.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 595,444, dated December 14, 1897. Application filed May 20, 1897. Serial No. 637,325. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, FREDERICK W. ROLL and FRANK WALTMAN, of Denver, in the county7 of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminating Devices for Keyholes; and We do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the salne.

This invention has for its object to provide an effective device for illuminating the keyhole of a lock to facilitate the operation of inserting the keywand give sufficient light to assist the operator in selecting the proper key for the lock.

The invention also contemplates an arrangement by which the lamp can be manipulated to turn it on and 0E in order to have it burning only during the time required for the above purpose.

To these ends the invention consists in placing a small incandescent electric lamp Within the lock-casing near the keyhole to shed its light therethrough and provide one of the Wires which lead to the lamp With a cut-o operated by a push-button extending through the door.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation to show the location of the pushbutton with respect to the keyhole. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the lock-casing. Fig. 3 is a detail view ofthe particular device for making and breaking the current Which is operated by the push-button.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, l

designates the lock-casing of the door, which is of any approved style or construction, being increased in size below the locking-bolt to receive our attachments hereinafter described. The keyhole (designated by the numeral 2) extends through the front portion of the door into the lock-casing in the usual manner to provide for inserting the key, which engages with the locking-bolt 3. Located within this lock-casing and to one side of the' keyhole a sufficient distance to be out of the path of the key .is attached a small incandescent electric lamp 4, which is held in place by a block 5,`as shown. One of the Wires Which leads to this electric lamp is broken, the circuit being closed by operating the pushbutton 6,Which engages a spring-plate 7, electrically connected to one section of the said Wire, and pushes the saine into contact With a plate or section 8, forming a continuation of the other section of the Wire. The pushbutton ispractically of the ordinary construction, as the spring tendency of the plate 7 acts to normally break the circuit and return the button to its normal position. It Will be noted that this push-button is located immediately below the keyhole, this arrangement being provided in order that the operation of turning on the lampl and inserting the key can be accomplished by one hand, as a finger of the hand Which carries the key can be held against the push-button While the thumb and index-inger are elnployed in inserting the key Within the keyhole.

The particular arrangement of the lamp Within the lock so illuminates the keyhole as to greatly aid in inserting a key after dark, as the push-button can be easily found and operaied to illuminate the keyhole. The lamp Will shed sufficient light through the keyhole to also aid in selecting the proper key for the lock. The Wires extend to a suitable source from Which the proper current is generated.

It Will be understood, of course, that our lamp could be attached to nearly any lock of the ordinary construction, as there is usually suflicient space in the lock-casing to receive the lamp, which is very small and need be only sufficient to give a small candle-power.

In connection with the device hereinbefore described we have devised a particular manner of connecting the Wires between the lamp and source from Which the current is generated. To accomplish this, one ot' the Wires is connected to an angle-piece 8a, Which extends through the lock casing and is insulated therefrom, while the other Wire is connected directly to the lock-casing. The angle-piece 8 engages a headed pin 9 When the door is closed, said headed pin being located Within a casing 10, Which is let into the door-jamb and is actuated by a spring ll to form the proper contact With the angle piece. The other Wire from the electric source is connected to a metal block 12, let into the keeper with which the bolt of the lock engages, so as IOO to contact with said bolt when it is projected into the keeper. This forms a very simple and effective manner of making the proper connections with the lamp.

Having thus described our invention,What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a device for illuminating keyholes, the combination with the lock-casing, of a lamp su pported therein, a push-button projecting through the lock-casing and door to make and break the current; together with an angie-piece connected to one of the Wires from the lamp and extending through the lock-casing from which it is insulated, the other Wire for the lamp being connected to the lock-cas- 

